When Disney acquired Lucas Films in 2012, fans were a little skeptical. After all, how can a company that is known for its feel-good princess movies do justice to epic franchises like Indiana Jones and Star Wars? The release of the first Star Wars movie under the Disney banner has alleviated those doubts.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens that just opened in cinemas worldwide to rave reviews did not just break records - It obliterated them! Given the pent-up fan demand and the intense marketing, Disney had estimated that the movie would break the $100 million mark at the US box office on its opening day.
According to initial estimates, 'The Force Awakens' surpassed that number raking in an astounding $120.5 million USD. The number does not include the $57 million USD earned from the movie's Thursday night preview screenings. This by far exceeds the existing $91 million USD first-day record set by 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.' Additionally, it is also the first Star Wars movie to earn more than $100 million USD in a single day!
If that is not impressive enough, how about this? The film has broken opening day records globally as well - From the United Kingdom ($24.7 million) to Germany ($12.7 million ), to France ($11.2 million), Australia ($10.4 million), and the list goes on.
All in all, as of December 19, Disney has earned an estimated $250 million USD during the opening weekend, breaking yet another record - One set earlier this year by 'Jurassic World' that made $208.8 million in its debut weekend.
The big question? Will Star Wars: The Force Awakens break the all-time global box office record of $2.788 billion USD established by James Cameron's blockbuster movie Avatar in 2009? Judging from the positive fan reviews and the fact that the film has yet to open in many large, lucrative markets like China, it certainly appears plausible.
Resources: yahoo.news.com, usatoday.com
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